Fall 2002
In this issue:
President's
Message
GADSPHE Creates Regional Chapters
Update on Board of Regents Technology Fee Guidelines
E-Text Initiative
GADSPHE 2002 Evaluation Award
News from Around the State
Upcoming Workshops and Conferences
Message from the Editor
Links:
GADSPHE Spring 2003 Conference
Regional Chapter Information
GADSPHE
Spring Conference 2003
Demystifying Disabilities
March
10-12, 2003
Jekyll Island
SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTER:
JEANNE M. KINCAID, ESQ.
Jeanne M. Kincaid, esq. is an attorney who consults with colleges and universities regarding disability law matters as they pertain to students and employees. She authored "Recent Legal Decisions" for the Association on Higher Education and Disability.
More information at www.gadsphe.org/sc2003-2.html
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
I am delighted to welcome you to the Fall 2002 GADSPHE Gazette! This issue is filled with information that I hope will be of interest to you and also be a resource. So roll up your sleeves and dig in!
The new GADSPHE Board has been working hard to fulfill the goals shared with you at the 2002 Spring Conference. The Board is determined to make GADSPHE a strong, solid organization that you can rely on to be a vital resource in the postsecondary disability field. I feel that this is a rebuilding year for GADSPHE in that we have taken stock of who we were, who we are and who we want to become so that the organization can operate smoothly well into the future. We are reviewing the By-laws, creating operating policies and procedures, trying to revamp the webpage and get the list serve up and running again, attempting to streamline membership, cultivating the Regional Chapters, tying up ends on existing projects, generating new projects, and working hard to bring together an exceptional 2003 Spring Conference. I know that all of the actions we are taking will help to cement GADSPHE's foundation as well as make us an organization you can depend on to be a support and resource to you.
Like many of you who have been dealing with budget cuts and trying to put out the constant fires that continue to interfere with completing your other job responsibilities, the GADSPHE Board has been experiencing some bumps as well. We regrettably accepted the resignation of our Treasurer, Gina Phillips so that she can pursue another career in higher education at Ogelthorpe University. We wish Gina much success in her future endeavors - she will be missed. However, we enthusiastically welcome Merrine McDonald, Spelman College as our new Treasurer. It is exciting to have Merrine on the Board because she represents the private college sector of our membership and will provide the Board with expertise in this area. We are continuing to work on re-establishing the list serve to functioning order but are encountering an extremely slow response from the company we are currently using.
In closing, GADSPHE is only as good as the sum of its members. If you haven't already done so, please send in your membership application today and join us in making GADSPHE all that it can be.
Wishing you pennies from
heaven and lots of water to put your fires out,
Nicole Palazzo, President
GADSPHE CREATES REGIONAL CHAPTERS
GADSPHE has developed five regional chapters throughout the state: Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest, and Coastal. The goal of having the regional chapters is to enable GADSPHE to reach all disability service providers in the state of Georgia. Another goal of establishing the regional chapters is to have small regional conferences in the fall and then rotate the Annual Spring conference throughout the 5 regions on a yearly basis. Each region has a Regional Representative that holds a position on the Board and will oversee his/her region and keep track of the service providers contact information as well as any specific needs or ideas a service provider presents.
The Regional Reps are as follows:
| Northeast | Rodney Pennamon | North Georgia College & State Univ. | 706-867-2782 | rpennamon@ngsu.edu |
| Northwest | Mary Frances Bernard | Chattahoochee Tech | 770-528-4529 | mfbernard@chat-tec.com |
| Central | Ann Loyd | Macon State College | 478-471-2714 | aloyd@mail.maconstate.edu |
| Southwest | Cheryl Biggs | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | 229-386-3489 | cbiggs@abac.edu |
| Coastal | Sherrel Bees | Coastal Georgia Community College | 912-264-7220 | sbees@cgcc.edu |
The lists of schools that comprise each region can be found at www.gadsphe.org/regions.html. The lists were created so that the majority of schools could be within 2-3 driving hours of one another for easy access to drive-in/ one-day conferences. The lists are not set in stone, therefore, if it would be more convenient for your school to be in another region please let your Rep know so that a change can be made.
The Board hopes that you
will find the Regions extremely user friendly and a welcomed new resource for
you. One final note: a very special thank you goes out to Pat Marshall, University
of Georgia for the countless hours she spent on creating the regions and compiling
all of the contact information that was available for each school.
UPDATE ON BOARD OF REGENTS TECHNOLOGY FEE GUIDELINES
The Georgia Association for Disability Service Providers (GADSPHE) has previously addressed the issue of the system wide Technology Fee Guidelines with the Georgia Board of Regents. We remain concerned since the problem that we were assured was resolved in July of 2000, persists still today. You can go to http://www.gadsphe.org/techfeerept.html on the GADSPHE webpage to read the Tech Fee Guidelines and the letters sent.
In April 2000, then President
Elizabeth Tomlinson sent a letter to the Board of Regents addressing our concerns
about the system's policies regarding the use of Technology Fee funds. The Board
of Regents Technology Fee Guidelines Item 7 specifically stated that expenditures
for adaptive technology for students with disabilities would be of a low priority.
This is inconsistent with Item 1, which emphasizes that, "access is important."
A letter from Dr. Lindsay A. Desrochers, Senior Vice Chancellor for Capital
Resources dated July 17, 2000, stated that that this discrimination in access
would be eliminated by striking the phrase "adaptive equipment for students
with disabilities" from Item 7 of the Guidelines. The Guidelines for the
subsequent year appeared with no changes.
On May 7, 2001, then President Terri Cordle sent a second letter to Dr. Daniel Papp, Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Fiscal Affairs, requesting that the corrected copy of the Guidelines be forwarded immediately in order to rectify the inequities. We received no response and to date, the Guidelines remain unchanged.
This issue is of grave
concern to us as service providers because it continues to contribute to diminished
access to technology by students with disabilities. Louise Bedrossian, Immediate
Past President, composed another letter dated Nov. 6th to the Board of Regents
asking them once again to please correct the Guidelines. We have asked the Regents
Administrative Committee On Learning Disorders (ACLD) for assistance and support
in delivering the letter to the appropriate administrator on the Board of Regents.
It is our hope that with the support of the ACLD this letter will be the last
letter needed to resolve this serious issue.
~ Nicole Palazzo, President
E-TEXT INITIATIVE UPDATE
Part of the long-range plan for GADSPHE includes advocating for increased availability of textbooks in accessible electronic format. Although there are a vast number of problems, we have made some progress toward that end.
Unbeknown to our organization, a bill was put forth in last year's legislative session that would have required electronic formats (but not necessarily accessible formats) for all textbooks adopted in all state higher education institutions. The bill was not passed. Instead, a substitute was passed at the last minute (literally) requiring that the Board of Regents (BOR) "study" the issue and report on it during the next legislative session. The Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) was named as a collaborator in the study and it required that disability-related and interested support groups be included.
We recently learned that the BOR had invited a study group to discuss the issue. It is unknown whether the BOR study will be conclusive before this legislative session. But of primary importance is that the issue is being discussed.
GADSPHE is in the process of applying for a grant. This funding would allow us to study the issues faced by the various groups concerned and possible solutions. In addition, GADSPHE President, Nicole Palazzo queried our membership about their experiences in obtaining electronic formats of textbooks from publishers and developed a useful summary of this data. It is hoped that the information may be used to develop a workable policy or legislation that will serve the students, protect from copyright infringement, and still assure unlimited access to the full range of textbooks for classroom use.
In any event, GADSPHE will continue to make our voice heard and to offer our expertise to the BOR study committee in our quest to provide greater accessibility to all students with disabilities in Georgia.
GADSPHE EVALUATION AWARD ANNOUNCED
During the Spring 2002 Board meeting, GADSPHE established an annual award for the evaluation of a college student from Georgia for a learning disability (LD) or attention deficit/hyperactivy disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this award is to assist a student who demonstrates an "outstanding need" in defraying the cost of an outside evaluation or an evaluation performed at one of the Regents Centers for Learning Disorders (RCLD). This award is for evaluation purposes only and is worth up to $500.
The Board randomly established a five-year rotation cycle for nominations beginning in the fall of 2002 that includes private and technical colleges and universities and the public colleges and universities within the state.
The 2002 Evaluation Award will go to a student from a private college or university in Georgia. Subsequent rotation years are as follows:
2003 - Georgia State RCLD
feeder schools;
2004 - Technical colleges;
2005 - Georgia Southern RCLD feeder schools; and
2006 - University of Georgia RCLD feeder schools.
In the future, calls for nominations will take place in the fall of each year and will be announced on the GADSPHE web site, through emails to the membership, and/or letters of notification sent to Disability Service Offices for the colleges and universities included in that year's rotation cycle.
A representative from the
Disability Services Office or a designee on campus will nominate students. The
criteria for nominations are as follows:
a) The student must be enrolled in a postsecondary educational setting in Georgia
at a two-or-four year college or university;
b) The student must be experiencing academic difficulties and have either sought
assistance from the DS office or have been referred to that office; and
c) The student must demonstrate an "outstanding need" such as financial,
medical, family, severity of academic difficulties, or emancipated student status
(under 21 years old and on his/her own; declared this status through financial
aid or registrar's office). Please do not include any official documentation
to demonstrate "outstanding need" (e.g., financial aid statements,
transcripts, letters from medical doctors). The DS representative's description
of "outstanding need" is sufficient.
Letters of nominations will be submitted to the GADSPHE Scholarship Committee
for review. The nomination letter written by the DS representative or designee
should include the above criteria and any additional information pertinent to
the student; however, it should not include identifying characteristics such
as gender, particular school or university, or other identifiers. Identifiers
will be blocked out before sending to the Board for final selection. Letters
of nomination should be submitted to:
GADSPHE Scholarship Committee,
c/o Patricia Marshall,
University of Georgia, 333 Milledge Hall, Athens, GA 30606-5875.
A member of the Scholarship Committee will notify the DS representative or designee of the finalist's college or university. In addition, a voucher will be mailed to the DS representative to submit directly to the private psychologist or with the RCLD testing information packet. The psychologist or RCLD will complete the information requested for reimbursement and mail to the GADSPHE treasurer. Upon receipt of this voucher, the GADSPHE treasurer will mail the award disbursement directly to the provider.
The award recipient's institution
will be announced during the Spring Conference. The individual recipient will
not be identified, only the college or university that the student attends.
~ Pat Marshall proth@arches.uga.edu
GADSPHE
2002 EVALUATION AWARD
Call for Nominations from Private Colleges
Nominations of students from private colleges and universities are being accepted from disability service representatives or designees. Criteria and procedures for nomination are described below. If at any time during this process, the student who has been nominated changes his/her mind about being tested, the disability service coordinator or designee will need to contact the Scholarship Committee to withdraw the nomination.
Award. The Evaluation Award voucher is worth up to $500 for psycho-educational testing to be applied to a private evaluation or an evaluation administered through one of the three Regents Centers for Learning Disorders (RCLD) in Georgia.
Timeline
December 20, 2002 - Letters of nomination submitted to the Scholarship Committee.
February 1, 2003 - The GADSPHE Board will make the final decision.
February 15, 2003 - Disability Service representative will be notified.
Criteria. The criteria for nomination is as follows: a) the student must be enrolled in a postsecondary educational setting in Georgia at a two-or four-year private college or university; b) the student must be experiencing academic difficulties and have either sought assistance for testing from the Disability Services Office or have been referred to that office; and c) the student must demonstrate "outstanding need" such as financial, medical, family, severity of academic difficulties, and/or emancipated student status (student is under 21 and is on his/her own). Please do not include any official documentation to demonstrate "outstanding need" (e.g., financial aid statements, transcripts, letters from medical doctors). The DS representative's description of "outstanding need" is sufficient.
Letter of Nomination. The disability service representative or designee
will provide a one-page letter of nomination to the GADSPHE Scholarship Committee
for review. This nomination letter should include the above criteria and other
information pertinent to the student. However, it should not list identifying
characteristics such as gender, particular college or university, or any other
identifying characteristics. Identifiers will be blocked out for final Board
selection. Please mail nomination letters to the following address:
The GADSPHE Scholarship Committee, c/o Patricia Roth Marshall,
University of Georgia,
333 Milledge Hall
Athens, GA 30602-5875.
Finalist Notification and Voucher. A member of the Scholarship Committee will notify the disability service representative or designee of the finalist's college or university. In addition, a voucher will be mailed to the representative to submit directly to the private psychologist or to the appropriate RCLD along with the RCLD testing information packet.
Award Disbursement.
The private psychologist or the appropriate RCLD will complete the information
pertinent for reimbursement and mail to the GADSPHE treasurer for reimbursement.
Upon receipt of this voucher, the GADSPHE treasurer will mail the award disbursement
directly to the provider.
Award Announced. The award will be announced during the Spring Conference.
The individual recipient will not be identified, only the private college or
university that the student attends.
GADSPHE NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
Department of Technical and Adult Education Colleges
Georgia's Department of Technical and Adult Education has always demonstrated a commitment to equal education for all qualified students. Colleges within DTAE provide services and accommodations for those with documented disabilities to assure equal access to facilities, programs and services. To this end DTAE is in the second year of a pilot project that would develop a service delivery model that serves students with learning disabilities that could be replicated at other DTAE technical colleges. The first year of operation focused on the identification and evaluation of students with learning disabilities as well as providing self-advocacy, training, and training for faculty. The focus of the second year will be on providing additional training and services to students as well as tracking these students' progress. Training for specific faculty will continue as well. Year two of this project will continue under the Learning Disabilities State Pilot Coordinator and with the four participating technical colleges of the DTAE system.
DTAE's technical colleges are also updating their documentation guidelines and inventorying all assistive technology. Finally, Disability Coordinators are in the final stages of developing a comprehensive manual to assist Disability Coordinators when working with students with disabilities. This manual will have sections devoted to helping students advocate for themselves as well as a section to help faculty present lectures in numerous formats.
Marty Helger
Barb Wilburn
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
REGENTS CENTERS FOR LEARNING DISORDERS PRESENT
TRANSITION TO COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS
WITH LEARNING DISORDERS:
EVERYTHING YOU HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KNOW!
12/13/02
10:00 - 3:00
Metro East GLRS
2415-C North Druid Hills Road, Northeast
Atlanta, Georgia
A workshop designed for those who work with students with learning disorders who are seeking admission to college: psychologists, guidance counselors, vocational rehabilitation counselors, social workers, diagnosticians, special education directors/coordinators, High School/Middle School collaborative teachers, High School/Middle School administrators, parents, and other interested parties.
I. Welcome and Introduction
II. The Regents Centers
for Learning Disorders: What are they?
III. Admission Requirements for University System of Georgia Colleges
IV. Accommodations in College
V. Documentation Requirements to Support Requested Accommodations
VI. Current Research Concerning Assessment and Accommodations
VII. Adjourn
*********************************************************************************************
Registration Fee: $20.00 (Atlanta) Registration Deadline: December 2, 2002
(Includes Workshop Packet and Deli Lunch) (Registration is limited due to room
size)
SDU Contact Hours Available Bring your system's form.
*************************************************************************************
Name: _________________________________ Address:__________________________________
Phone: _________________________________ __________________________________
E-Mail: _________________________________ __________________________________
Job Title:___________________________________________________________________________
School System/College/University/Other: ____________________________________________
For questions, contact Dr. Margo Habiger at 706-542-0389. Complete the above information, detach, and mail with a check made payable to the RCLD Technical Assistance Conference:
Ms. Lisa McLain,
University of Georgia
323 Milledge Hall
Athens, Georgia 30602
The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)
The Theme for AHEAD
2003: Advancing Our Profession, Refining Our Vision
Wyndham Anatole Hotel, Dallas Texas, July 15-19, 2003
Appropriate to having completed 25 years, the 2003 Conference will be a time to reflect on our struggles and accomplishments.
It will be 13 years since the passage of the ADA and 26 years since the enactment of Section 504. How can we take our work to the next level? How can we advance the recognition of Disability Services work and take our place as full partners in higher education?
We will explore ways to refine our vision in: the delivery of access and services, advocacy for environments that reflect principles of universal design, the inclusion of disability as a curricular topic/perspective and the discussion and creation of new partnerships that make our work more effective.
State
Outreach and Technical Assistance Center
SOTAC
Invites all Disability Service Providers
and their
Staff interpreters to attend:
HOT TOPICS
Providing Interpreting Accommodations
In the Postsecondary Classroom
With
GARY SANDERSON
Renowned interpreter and interpreter trainer from
California State University at Northridge
HOT TOPICS is an opportunity to discuss issues with other professionals in Georgia who coordinate accommodations for students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in postsecondary education. This session of HOT TOPICS focuses on anything and everything that involves providing interpreting as an accommodation on your campus or at your facility. Gary Sanderson will add many years of experience and expertise to this discussion. Please come and benefit from this unique, informal opportunity to share and get first hand advice from one of the leading experts in the field of Interpreting for students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Friday, November 22, 2002
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
at
Georgia Perimeter College -Clarkston Campus
555 N. Indian Creek Dr.
Clarkston, GA 30021
Jim Cherry Learning Resources Center (the Library)
Conference Room CL 4190 (on the fourth floor)
Contact:
Katherine Bruni
State Outreach Specialist SOTAC PEC/PEPNet
404-299-4159 v/tdd, office
770-928-6785 v/tdd, home office
770-928-9929 fax
GEORGIA COLLEGE
PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION
A State Division of the American College Personnel Association
GCPA/GNTI CONFERENCE
2003
MANY DIFFERENT FACES, ONE COMMON GOAL
IT'S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK! MARCH
12-14, 2003
Holiday Inn Beach Resort
Jekyll Island, GA
SPEAKERS
& SPECIAL EVENTS
Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, Vice President for Student Affairs
Albany State University
Dr. Mary Beth Gasman, Assistant Professor,
Higher Education
Georgia State University
Pre-Conference Workshop- "Grant Writing in Student Affairs"
For information on Dr. Gasman please click on - About Dr. Gasman
FOR MORE INFORMATION http://www.acpa.nche.edu/STATES/GA/CONFERENCE.HTM
To Register On-Line click - GCPA REGISTRATION
THE GEORGIA COLLEGE COUNSELING
ASSOCIATION
presents its
Annual Conference
The Association's Tenth Annivesary
"Counselors: Colleges' Hidden Treasures!"
February 12-14, 2003
At the
King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort
St Simons Island, Georgia
FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://www.kennesaw.edu/caps/gcca-conf2003-front.htm
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
Greetings Fellow Disability Service Providers!
As the new GADSPHE media
chair and editor of the GADSPHE Gazette, I welcome you to a new and exciting
year for our organization.
I'm both new to the organization as well as a fairly new transplant to Georgia.
I began my present position as Disability Services Counselor at Georgia Perimeter
College just last February; previously I served as Learning Specialist at the
University of North Carolina Wilmington. While at UNCW, I was a member of NC
AHEAD and assisted the president with conferences, and workshops, as well as
serving as the organization's web master. I look forward to using those same
skills in serving GADSPHE.
As editor of the GADSPHE Gazette my goal is to make this newsletter a viable resource for DS providers, particularly new professionals, in making new contacts, and learning this ever changing, often confusing, and demanding profession. For most of us learning how to be a disability services provider in higher education is not something we learned in graduate school, but more often on the job, and sometimes the hard way.
I hope this newsletter will become one more tool, where disability service providers can gather, share information, and be better prepared to serve our students and our institutions.
With that said, I am interested
in hearing from each member, particularly if you have a contribution to the
newsletter. Please don't hesitate in dropping me e-mail with your questions,
raves, or rants.
~ Chris Kinney
ckinney@gpc.edu